Bulgaria: where history, traditions, mysticism, and creativity come together
Cyrillic alphabet, beautiful endless rose valleys, soul-stirring mountains, hidden wild beaches, the oldest city in Europe, the world's largest gold treasure, and the best yogurt one could ever eat: what all of these things have in common is their home - Bulgaria. This small country was created in 681 AD and dominated most of the Balkans for a long time until its territories fell under the Ottoman rule for over 5 centuries.
Whispers of history give you goosebumps while you explore ruins and fortresses showcasing the great and not so great times that the country has had. At the same time, the Southeastern European country is part of the European Union and home to many headquarters and successful start-ups, which, together with its stunning nature, make it a mixture of old and new, historic and modern, spiritual and secular, mystic and stereotypical, shocking and breath-taking, a beautiful paradox that must be experienced by anyone seeking adventure.
🇧🇬BULGARIA 🇧🇬 AMAZING Aerial DRONE Landscapes [4K]
So, here are a few places that give you a feel of what Bulgaria is like. First stop, Buzludzha Peak, where one can find The Memorial House of the Ex-Communist Party, a tribute to the socialist ideology, which used to rule the country up until the recent 90s. After few decades of democracy, during which the building has been abandoned, only around 50% of the mosaics depicting important moments for the party survived, but these together with the motto stated in the center of the dome quoting the Communist Manifesto: “Proletarians from all countries, unite!”, make it worth the visit.
*Bulgaria first photo(three of them next to each other)*
But the political past of Bulgaria is not nearly about it. Beautiful mystic nature lurks at every corner, waiting to be discovered. One of these spots is the next one on the list known by locals as “Bozhite ochi”, which stands for “God’s Eyes”. Only 120 km from the capital, it is located in “Prohodna cave”, which has easy access and is naturally lit by its huge entrances and natural openings in the ceiling. Exactly these openings, which some also call “windows” have perfectly symmetrical almond-shaped holes, which people called “The Eyes of God”.
*Bulgaria second photo*
At the topic of nature, I’d like to share my experience with Belogradchik. It is a town in the very west-north part of Bulgaria. Literally translated the name of the town means ‘small white town’. The main activity there is hiking at the Belogradchik Rocks and the Belogradchik Fortress. The latter is one of the best-preserved strongholds in Bulgaria and a cultural monument of national importance. There you will be able to enjoy the incredible beauty and mysticism of the rocks. They are a group of sandstone and conglomerate formations with strange shapes, which have been forming for over a million years. They vary in color and size, as some of them reach up to 200m.
*Bulgaria third photo*
There is a lot of historical value and legends, which the native people will be more than happy to share with you. Most of the hotels in the city have a very nice spa area, which you can enjoy after a nice day spent hiking.
*Bulgaria fourth photo*
If you get to visit Bulgaria during summer, I’d definitely recommend having a true bohemian experience at the wild beaches of the Black Sea. The locals themselves are very protective of the coast, fighting and protesting against all plans of the government to put the area into construction. Beach fires, guitars, long walks, friendly faces, and hippy spirit in the air together with no electricity, no luxury, and probably not even a proper shower for a weekend make it a true getaway from the dynamics of everyday city life. Some of the places I would recommend are Irakli and Karadere.
*Bulgaria fifth photo(collection of three)*
While you’re exploring the country, I would suggest checking if there is a “subor” happening near where you are staying. Explaining what a subor is, is a rather difficult task. If you would try and get a literal translation of it, it would mean “gathering”, but what it actually is is a showcase of the culture, tradition, national heritage and sense of national belonging wrapped up in a few days festival filled with national dances, food and even rituals performed in order to get rid of bad spirits in the case of the “Kukeri” events.
*Bulgaria sixth photo*
Some of the biggest events of this type are in the traditional Bulgarian cities such as Koprivshtitsa and Rojen. If you are interested in diving deep in the cultural richness of Bulgaria, this is definitely a great way to do so.
*Bulgaria seventh photo*
Last, but not least, the Eastern European country is home to many music festivals themed with the idea of breaking free. One that people call “a modern-day utopia” is “Meadows in the Mountains” located in the heart of Rhodope Mountains. It has been gaining popularity worldwide as it focuses on inclusion and diversity, embracing self-expression to its fullest.
These are just a couple of the reasons why I love the small paradise that this country is. However, what I believe is the strongest motive why anyone would benefit from experiencing Bulgaria is that it has it all: regardless of whether you are looking for an out-of-the-ordinary bohemian experience filled with festivals and wild nature or you want to dive deep in the cultural heritage of the country, or just want to have a cheap all-inclusive vacation with great service, you can find it in the warm welcoming arms of Bulgaria.
The capital of Bulgaria is one of the most ancient capitals of Europe, which is also manifested by its motto “Even growing, never aging”. Walking the streets of the city one comes across buildings and artifacts dating back from the Neolithic period (from 6000 to 4000 BC), until today. Differently by cities like Rome and Paris, these monuments are rarely fenced or protected by security, which contributes to the feeling of freedom that Sofia brings to everyone who visits it. Streets and parks, full of young people, willing to have a long conversation with everyone that approaches them, make Sofia a paradise for foreigners willing to blend in with the locals for several days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZnLWwwiAc0
Until the year 809 Sofia was part of the Roman Empire. This is when it became part of Bulgaria. Later on, it went under the rule of Byzantine and the Ottoman Empire, until the country gained its independence in 1878 as a result of the war led by Russia. A year later it officially became the capital of Bulgaria. During these very diverse times, it acquired a variety of monuments of different styles.
BULGARIA Sofia ● Hyperlapse [2019] | 4k📷
One of them is the St. George Rotunda located in the garden between the Presidency and the Sheraton Hotel. It dates back to the fourth century, the period in which the emperor Constantine the Great lived in the city, which at that time has the name “Serdika”. Sofia is also the home of the Boyana Monastery, which was built in the tenth century and is recognized as cultural heritage being protected by UNESCO. The largest church on the Balkans is also located in the capital of Bulgaria. It was built in 1912 in honor of the soldiers, who died fighting for the independence of the country in the Russo-Turkish War. The temple-monument "St. Alexander Nevsky” is also one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the world. It is 45 m high and the bell tower reaches a height of 50.5 m. It can accommodate up to 5,000 people.
SOFIA ● Bulgaria [2020] Cinematic DRONE | 4K📷
But it does not end with churches. Interestingly, in the center of Sofia, one can find four temples of different religions in very close proximity, which showcases the tolerance and open-mindedness of the nation. One of them is Sofia's Banya Bashi Mosque, built by the most important Ottoman architect. Just across the mosque, there is the largest synagogue on the Balkans dating back to 1909. Next to them, is located the orthodox church "St. Sunday " built in 1863, and nearby is the Catholic Cathedral “St. Joseph”.
Sofia is one of the European cities, in which culture and arts are highly valued. The city enjoys more than ten already established theaters, and new contemporary ones are born constantly.
Besides from the National Art Gallery, which is the home to more than 50,000 pieces from bulgarian artists, there are also numerous contemporary galleries. One of them is the Modern Art Gallery, which is the first privately western-owned gallery in Bulgaria. It has various pieces by local artists but also some by Picasso, Matisse and Warhol. In the past it hosted exhibitions of the works of Dali, Damien Hirst and Hunt Slonem. For photography lovers Rubber Gallery offers the works of a couple of artist each of which has his own unique style. Sofia has even a Museum of Socialist Art where all of the monuments and statues, which were found inappropriate after the fall of the socialism, are stored.
Buzludzha- First photo - three next to each other:
https://www.canva.com/photos/MADA-0ANV8U-mosaic-in-buzludzha/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MADhTP67eHw-modern-building-in-the-middle-of-the-field-at-night/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MAC92zhBdFE-rays-in-buzludzha/
Bozhite ochi - second photo:
https://www.canva.com/photos/MAC4BZq1LUc-sun-rays-from-the-gods-eyes/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MAC3rgJZHGA-rock-formation/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MADUIfz3eZc-belogradchik-rocks/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MADUtpLzEUo-belogradchik-fortress/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MAC6B2_QJbU-belogradchik-rocks-chapel/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MADJ35_ZsoM-sunset-in-irakli-bulgaria/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MAC8nJhx-sc-irakli-beach-on-the-bulgarian-black-sea-coast/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MADFvYHaejg-wild-biach-in-bulgaria/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MADFvQlOZBY-wild-and-untuchable-beach/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MADFBvLlpXY-karadere-beach-at-the-summer-near-varna-bulgaria/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MAC6I0eEZTY-traditional-kukeri-masks/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MADmQqf8lIw-i-will-clear-and-purify-you-with-holy-fire/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MADPXFuF-Og-folk-costumes-of-kukeri-in-bulgaria/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MADCN4acOwA-feel-the-rose-aroma/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MAB-8XbYCt0-couple-in-bulgarian-traditional-dress/
https://www.canva.com/photos/MAB-8WMuif4-traditional-dance-in-bulgaria/
